IEEE Next-Gen Ethernet News

Mike Hughes <mike@linx.net> UKNOF6

What is the HSSG?

Stands for Higher Speed Study Group Study groups convene whenever there is a need do define the project(s) for a future IEEE task force to work on In this case, the project(s) will be one or more standards for next-generation Ethernet HSSG convened in July 2006 802.3 plenary
Industry Ad-hoc prepared a CFI, vote at meeting Voting members: Yes 53, No 3, Abstain 3

IEEE Standards Process

Call For Interest Study Group Task Force Working Group Ballot Sponsor Ballot Standards Board Approval Publication By a member of 802.3 Open Participation, ongoing, meeting this week Open Participation, expected to start Nov 2007 Members of 802.3 Public Ballot Group RevCom & Standards Board IEEE Staff & project leaders

HSSG Objectives
Define PAR (Project Authorisation Request) 5 Criteria to support the PAR
Broad Market Potential Compatibility with 802.3 standard Distinct Identity Technical Feasibility Economic Feasibility

Project objectives
e.g. multiple standards, different media interfaces

HSSG Focus
MAC Data Rate Discussion
40, 80, 100, 120, 160 Gbit/sec or scaleable? Faster serial speeds Aggregation (multi-lane) solutions
Multiple wavelengths (on a single fibre pair) Multiple fibres (multi-channel phy & ribbon cable) Could reuse existing 10GE components this way

PHY types and reach

Copper/Fibre? 500m/10km?

Reach and Optical Ad-hocs to support these

Objectives Defined
IEEE 802 Plenary meeting, Dallas, 13-16th November 2006, defined:
Full duplex operation only Preserve 802.3/Ethernet frame format at the MAC client service interface Preserve min/max frame sizes as the current 802.3 standard Support a MAC/PLS speed of 100Gb/sec Support at least 10km on SMF (G.652) Support at least 100m on OM3 (laser optimised) MMF

HSSG is meeting this week

Monterey, California Various topics under discussion:
Currently trying to add a 40km reach on SMF Discussion of various optical deployments Acceptable BER (issues with BER addition) Economics and market drivers Ongoing input from the user community too

Most importantly:
5 criteria strawman proposal

Beware: Politics Ahead!

Two interesting, conflicting presentations:
Speeds and Feeds Reality Check
Sun arguing that 100G is too fast wont meet broad market potential, and that the speed objective should be 40Gbits/sec
They wont be able to use 100G/sec until 2014

Are they enclosed in a desktop/server vacuum?

Ethernet is replacing SONET/SDH in the core network!

100Gbit/sec is not enough!

Alcatel-Lucent arguing 100G is not enough LAG will be essential, and well always be behind defining a fast enough interface scaleable generic architecture needed

Demand Arguments
The argument is that 10Gig isnt successful
It hasnt grown at the same rate as FastE or GigE did (hardly surprising though)
FastE: 1M host interfaces 1 years from Standard GigE: 1M host interfaces ~2 years from Standard
Largely driven by 10/100/1000 copper ports

10GigE: 1M host interfaces projected for ~6 years after Standard

Is 100GE only being created for a niche market?

My Demand Argument

My Demand Argument

My Demand Argument

My Demand Argument
40Gig/sec Trunks!

My Demand Argument
What about 80 Gig/sec Trunks? 40Gig/sec Trunks!

But theres good news

There are a number of people driving 100Gig forward
User community (IXPs, Backbones, CDSPs)
We have a need 10GE LAG scaling issues

Vendor community (Switch, Router vendors)

They want to meet the need

Opto-electronics community
Maybe they just like the challenge? ;-)

Probably more ayes than nays

Of 85 attendees in Monterey, only 23 said it was worth continuing work on a 40Gig Ethernet

Its all happening as we speak

The HSSG are meeting this week
http://www.ieee802.org/3/hssg/public/jan07/index.html

Friday is the day for taking votes Hopefully the 5 criteria can either agreed up on, or at least more finely honed
The usual Ethernet scale-up criteria 10x bandwidth, approx 3x price

Fingers crossed that weve headed off the 40Gbit/sec camp, and get the 40km objective accepted!

Timeline from here

Route to the task force
March 07 IEEE Plenary, Orlando May 07 HSSG Interim, Geneva July 07 IEEE Plenary, San Francisco
Ballot here? 802.3xx number assigned?

November 07 First Task Force meeting?

Based on other Ethernet Standards, expect

2009 pre-Standard 100G implementations ship 2010 100Gig Ethernet Standard adopted

Background Reading
IEEE 802.3 HSSG website:
http://www.ieee802.org/3/hssg/

HSSG mail reflector:

Open mail reflector, dont have to be IEEE member listserv@ieee.org Body text:
subscribe stds-802-3-hssg <first name> <last name>

Thanks
Henk Steenman, AMS-IX
Being the ears and eyes of the European IX community at these meetings Assistance with material

Greg Hankins Force10 Networks

Involving the operator community at an early stage

Questions?